Story: Catholic Church

Catholic mission at Kororāreka

This 1845 view of Kororāreka (Russell) in the Bay of Islands shows New Zealand's first Catholic mission. The small white church on a hillside above the bay is surrounded by a wooden fence. The mission was built by Bishop Pompallier in 1842 and eventually included a printing shop and tannery. When Hōne Heke cut down the flagstaff on Maiki Hill (at top left) in 1845 he gave orders that the church, and the nearby Anglican church, should be spared from destruction.

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Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: C-010-022
Hand-coloured lithograph by George Thomas Clayton

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Rory Sweetman, 'Catholic Church - Irish settler church', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/29278/catholic-mission-at-kororareka (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Rory Sweetman, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 17 Jul 2018